


could you stay on the line?

by pbhoney



Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Past Abuse, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-31 13:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20794211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pbhoney/pseuds/pbhoney
Summary: Shelly wakes up from a nightmare and calls the only person she can think of





	could you stay on the line?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago and forgot about it. I've never posted anything before and don't write often so any advice would be cool!

Shelly woke up with a scream caught in the back of her throat. Heart pounding she took in her surroundings. The room was empty, Leo wasn’t here and he never would be, he was dead. She had watched him lower into the ground and had even thrown a handful of dirty onto his coffin.

That did little to calm her as she took in panicked breaths. There had been times where Leo had gone missing only to come home days later reeking of booze. 

He would come back again and Shelly knew it. 

She let out a small sob at that. Leo always found her and always made her pay. He would be back and this time she was alone, no Bobby to protect her.

She pulled her knees to her chest and began sobbing. She felt as if the room was closing in on her and she couldn’t breathe. Each breath brought in less air than the last as her body was wracked with sobs.

A clap of thunder startled her and she bolted upright, squeezing her hands into fists. She sat motionless, in a fearful daze waiting for something to happen to her. The winds outside sped up, shaking her small house, and without thinking, grabbed her phone to call the only person that she felt she could talk to.

***

Gordon shot upright in bed, adrenaline coursing through him. He looked to the phone on his bedside table with dread. No one called him this late unless someone had died, and given Twin Peaks’ track record it seemed unfortunately likely.

“This is Gordon,” he yelled into the receiver.

He heard a wince on the other line and immediately recognizing who it was. 

“Oh hello Shelly I didn’t realize it was you,” he said, making sure to lower his voice, “is everything okay? I didn’t take you for the night owl kind.”

“Everything’s fine,” she responded, trying to keep her voice even, “I’m sorry I don’t know why I called I shouldn’t be bothering you so late.”Gordon noted what sounded like a sniffle and furrowed his brow as he realized she was trying to hide that she was crying.

“Shelly I don’t think that this is a social call, it’s nearly three in the morning,” he said into the receiver, trying to keep his voice quiet, “if something is wrong, you can talk to me.”

“I woke you up, I’m sorry” she responded, and Gordon noted her poor attempt at dodging his question.

“I don’t mind,” he said, not knowing what was happening to her and trying keep her on the line, “I’m always happy to talk to you, Shelly.”

There was silence for a moment and he thought she had hung up when he heard breathy sobs. His hand tightened on the phone and he felt himself wanting to reach out and comfort her.

“I dreamt that he was back-”, she interrupted herself to sniffle, trying to compose herself Gordon realized. He wished he knew that she didn’t have to with him. 

“Leo was back, back for me. He was going to… he was trying to-” she cut herself off with a round of sobs.

Kill her, he realized, he was going to kill her.

Gordon inhaled and tried to calm himself. Leo’s treatment of Shelly was worse than he had ever imagined. Leo was lucky that he was already dead because he had never seen red like this before. Shelly was the kindest woman he had ever met, she expected nothing from others and treated everyone with love, she deserved nothing short of respect and care. 

He ran his hand down his face and put his rage on the back burner. The last thing either of them needed was Shelly thinking his anger was directed at her in anyway.

“It’s okay Shelly, you’re okay,” he said as softly as possible, “let it out sweetheart.”

She kept crying and Gordon stayed on with her, occasionally saying reassuring things when he felt she needed it.

Shelly inhaled deeply and after a few moments of what sounded like shuffling he heard the distant sound of her blowing her nose away from the receiver. Gordon smiled sadly to himself, she deserved a good cry.

“Thank you,” she said shakily, “I- thank you.”

“Anytime sweetheart, you can always talk to me,” Gordon responded earnestly. He needed her to know he meant it, if anything happened to her… he had only known Shelly a short time but her impact on him had been unlike anyone else he had ever met.

“I will…” she lingered, not saying anything else, but not trying to end the call.

“Shelly is there anything I can do?” he asked. He knew that those who had been abused have a hard time asking for help and he wanted her to that he was there for her.

“It’s dumb Gordon I- I shouldn’t keep you.”

“You could never be dumb honey,” he said, “talk to me, what are you thinking?”

There was silence for a moment, neither saying anything, when she suddenly breathed in.

“I feel like I’m going crazy,” she said without taking a breath, talking faster and faster as she went on, “I see him everywhere. I feel like I’ll never be rid of him. He’s sitting in a booth at work. He’s following me when I walk around town. He’s in my room. He’s everywhere.”

“Oh sweetheart…” Gordon said softly, trying to find the words he needed and feeling useless.

“And I feel like I’ll never be able to be myself,” she continued quickly between sniffles, “when I’m alone I feel like he’s closing in and I can’t breath, and when I’m with people I feel…dirty and like I’m not supposed to be there. Like I’m waiting for everyone to realize what I know.”

She let out a large sob, and Gordon clenched his jaw. He wanted to be there and comfort her in person, but he knew that wasn’t what she needed.

Gordon began softly, “Shelly, I have only known you for a short time and even I can see that that isn’t true.” he said, “You are not to blame, you are not blamed.” 

She sniffled and he continued, “You still have time to move on and just be, it isn’t too late. There’s still time Shelly, and yo-”.

A clap of thunder from her end startled him and he heard her recoil at the sound.

“Shelly, sweetheart it’s okay, listen to me. You are safe, and Leo… Leo’s gone. You’re safe now.”

She seemed to calm after that, and Gordon felt some relief knowing she was feeling a little better. They sat in silence together, neither knowing what to say, just listening to the rain pouring outside and each others breathing.

“I’ve been with Leo so long I don’t even know how to do that,” she said, sounding strangely happy.

“How to do what?” Gordon responded, confused.

“To just be,” she said, sounding more calm than she had the whole night, “I think I’d like it.”

“You’ve got time Shelly,” he said with a small smile, “you’ll get to.”

There was a pause and Shelly sighed, an unspoken weight leaving her shoulders. Before either could speak Shelly yawned involuntarily.

Gordon chuckled. “It’s late sweetheart, you should go to bed,” he said.

“I know,” she responded, suddenly sounding tired, “but… thank you gordon, I- I think I needed this.”

Of course Shelly,” he said, “You need me you call, okay?”

“Yeah,” she said, smiling evident in her voice.

There was a pause before she said, “could- um- could you stay on the line with me until I fall asleep?”

“Of course Shelly, whatever you need,” he said, glad that she felt comfortable enough to ask him for a favor.

“Thanks Gordon, you’re too sweet,” she said, on the verge of sleep.

He chuckled and leaned back into the pillows.

Shelly’s breathing slowly became even as she drifted off, and despite his best efforts, the sound of the rain and the comforting sound of Shelly’s breathing lulled him to sleep. The phone call still going as the two slept.


End file.
